Harmony (25 page)

Romano could wait no more. He sat back on his legs to remove his shirt. Harmony, breathing hard, with her knees parted and the front of her dress flipped up, reached between her thighs and covered her quivering sex.

“
Take it off, everything,” he nearly growled at her.

She blinked awake and looked at him with a dazed, lust crazed stare. When she managed to gather her strength she rose and lifted her dress, removing it. Then she pulled off her bra. Romano stood to shake off his trousers. He glanced around the open forest. There was something primal about taking her out under the sun in sixty-degree weather. She shivered and it excited him. She moaned when he dropped back down on her and it excited him. Damn everything about her had him turned on.

“
You cold?”

“
A little.” Her eyes were wide and her expression taut. Her bottom lip quivered so he sucked on it until she mewled for release.

“
I’ll warm you soon enough,” he whispered.

Her thighs eased opened and he licked along the seam of her lips before he captured her juicy mouth into a loving kiss. “Yes,” he breathed, stroking his cock between them. He angled the tip at her opening. Her belly undulated when he hesitated and stroked her sex against the bulb of his cockhead. “Ready?” he teased.

“
Now. Do me now, Vinnie.”

He plunged into her and her breath seeped into his mouth sliding in on a satisfying sigh. “Mmm, you’re so wet, so ready.” He said unable to thrust his hips. She clung to him rolling her cunt around his shaft and he shook off the melting urge to release and he began to pump his cock in and out of her lovely tightness. Her inner muscles clenched as she pumped upward with her thrusting hips. She clung to him, her entire body shivered.

She wants this as bad as I do, damn I know it’s crazy but I think I’m in love with this woman.

“
Top. Let me. Get. On. Top.” She wheezed under his hard thrusts. He paused then rolled to put her on his lap. She shivered hard and a renewed breeze washed over the open field. But she never broke rhythm. She fell forward with her hands pressed to the tops of his arms. His gaze latched on to her swaying breasts and her ass bounced on his length, swallowing and releasing him. He lowered his gaze lifting his head a bit to see his thick long cock appearing and disappearing between the lovely lips of her pussy. She rode him. Up and down she went on his shaft with tight wet heat taking him deep.

It was Romano’s turn to shiver. He rubbed her thighs and moved with her but she was in complete control. The internal heat their passion generated made them writhe and moan in pleasure. He rolled her again to her back and threw her leg over his shoulder opening her deep for him. He beat his cock in and out of her and she clawed at him for more. She was taking him under with her bottom maneuvers, his entire body shook hard before he grunted and dropped his head near the edge of losing control.

“
Give it to me baby, I can take it, I can,” she said cinching her legs around his waist tighter. He knew she was close to exploding because her moans were tightening, her voice pitched higher and higher.

“
I’m not going to last much longer,” he groaned through hard thrusts.

“
Me either!” she cried out.

He thrust, harder and deeper and timed his explosive release with hers. Together they were shattered under the sheer power of their union. Vinnie dropped on her exhausted.

Maybe it was the sweat cooling along her spine from the temperature dropping around them. Or maybe she just knew deep in her spirit that this man was made for her, and loving him was right. All she knew for sure was that sex had little to do with the warm flow of joy filling her heart. She had fallen in love with Vinnie. Harmony snuggled closer to him. He’d rolled them up in the blanket. They lay with their arms and legs wrapped around each other. She pressed her face to his chest and listened to his heartbeat. It was strong, like his embrace. She felt safe, and loved.

“
Vinnie?”

“
Yes.”

“
I think I might want to stay, keep time with you. To see where it leads.”

“
Mmm, that makes me happy.”

“
Me too.”

Nine

Dead Time…

The murky water rippled with rising steam drifting up from the surface. Harmony sneezed. She couldn’t shake the chills from their day out and hoped she didn’t come down with a cold. Even now in her warm bath she felt a slight quiver tickle along her spine. All she needed to do was think of him and every bone in her body melted on the memory as she slipped deeper into the belly of the clawfoot tub. Her lids sagged, then closed and she eased into the memory of their time by the stream.

They talked until they were hoarse. She and he shared the wine and it made her giddy and long winded. He didn’t seem to mind. He made love to her twice, and they lay under the cooling sun until it began to drift away and the chilly weather covered them. He asked her to be his. She said yes. He asked again. And she said yes again. She’d say yes to anything now. Her dreams of becoming more than a jazz singer were still there. She’d focus them now with Vinnie included. Together they’d figure out the details.

Harmony discovered some truths about herself. Lewis had blown into her life and swept her into his. When she reflected on it she never chose him. She never had a say in where her heart went. That was the difference between Lewis and Vinnie. This time every beautiful moment had been one she allowed, to some extent. And falling in love was brand new and full of promise, just as she had always dreamt.

“
Harmony?”

She opened her eyes to see he’d returned dressed handsomely in grey tweed trousers and a matching vest. He’d bathed and cleaned up as soon as they arrived. She spent her time plucking grass from her hair and looking over the dresses that he had brought in for her. “Yes?”

“
The boys and I have business to tend to. Afterwards I’ll go for your brother. It might be late before I’m back,” he said, walking over and sitting on the edge of the tub. She grinned up at him.

“
Okay. I understand. I’ll be here waiting.”

“
About that phone call you asked Mabel to let you make Doll.” He said. Harmony blinked in surprise, though after hearing how close he and Mabel were she shouldn’t have been surprised at all. She doubted the maid would ever keep something from Vinnie. “I told her to open up my office. You aren’t my prisoner Harmony. I’m sorry I made you feel like one.”

“
Thank you, Vinnie.”

He leaned forward and their lips met in a brief accepting kiss. She nearly reached to pull him into the bathwater but he rose and drew away. “I’ll try to make it quick. Okay? I know you want to see your brother.”

“
I… I’ll miss you.”

He glanced back at her. He winked and was gone. Harmony closed her eyes relaxing. She would miss him. But now she had the ability to dream a bit. Where could it all lead? Marriage? Her? Grams must be having a real good chuckle over her now. As she would say;
girl you always take the hard road, but somehow you manage to find your way.

After a long soak, she rose from the cooled water and dried herself. In the room she and Vinnie would share she found Mabel had left her oils for her skin and some sweet smelling fragrances to dip behind her ear in pretty crystal bottles. She changed and prettied herself up. When her brother arrived she wanted to greet him as normally as she could, before she beat him to death for worrying her so.

The house was still. She descended the stairs expecting to see a few of Vinnie’s men. She saw no one. “Mabel?” she called out. Harmony poked her head through the swinging door to the kitchen but didn’t see her.
Maybe she went down into the cellar?
Harmony decided against the search. Instead she explored the lower level rooms. When she found a door closed she opened it. On the third try she located Vinnie’s office. Harmony nearly turned away when she saw the phone.

Harmony entered his office and closed the door. She went to the desk and sat behind it. The chair’s leather was as soft as butter and had a large back fit for her prince. Picking up the listener ear to the phone she dropped her pointer finger in the circular dial and rung the operator.

“
Operator, how can I help you?”

“
Ah yes, can I have The Cotton Club in Harlem please.”

Nightfall had come in and stole away the sun. She knew the hour had eased into rehearsal time at The Cotton. Paulette would be there early. She could talk to her and locate Milo. He owed her an explanation.

“
One moment please.” The operator said, and the line went silent.

Harmony waited on the connection, thinking over how she’d get Paulette to the phone. To her surprise Charlie the doorman answered. She pleaded with him to bring Paulette to the phone after he said Milo and the band weren’t there. Lucky for her Madden hadn’t arrived either. She doubted Charlie would have bothered if he was there. Harmony glanced around Vinnie’s office while she waited. There was nothing personal in the room. Just books and furniture she knew he never touched. Nothing as revealing of his other side as the room at the cottage.

“
Mony? Is that you?”

“
Hi. Yes. I…”

“
Sweet merciful God it is you! Oh girl, oh Lord, I was so worried.”

“
I’m fine….”

“
Where are you? What happened to you?”

“
It’s a long story. Look, I don’t want to get you in trouble. I need to speak to Milo. Can you get a message to him?”

“
You don’t know?”

“
Know? Know what?”

“
Milo dead.”

Harmony gripped the chair with the phone pressed tight to her ear. “What do you mean… he dead?”

“
He dead Mony! They killed him. I thought they killed you too...”

“
Who dunnit?”

“
They found his body yesterday. Oh my God Mony it’s horrible. Everyone’s upset.”

“
Paulette! Stop! Who killed him?” she gasped, tears welled in her eyes and the room around her blurred. “Who dammit!”

“
That evil ass gangster! Vincenzio Romano. He killed him.”

“
That’s not true!”

“
It is Mony. He had his men do it. Stickman say they saw them roll up hanging out of the windows of the car and shoot him up on the sidewalk. Everyone is talking about it. Mony, where are you? What the hell is going on… where have you been the past two days?”

She dropped the phone and shot up from the chair. Paulette called for her on the other line but Harmony raced out of the room in a full on panic. She ran for the front of the house. Though she knew Vinnie was gone, she prayed someone was here. Paulette had to be wrong. Something was terribly wrong with her accusation. Why would Vinnie kill Milo?

“
What is it?” Mabel said carrying a wicker basket of fresh laundry.

“
Where’s Vinnie?”

“
Gone? What has you in such a state girl?”

“
I have to find him. No. No.” She shook her head furiously and wiped at the tears on her cheeks. “I have to get to my brother. They’re going to kill him. Oh Lord I’m so stupid. I believed him! The bastard was lying to me!” Harmony cried.

Mabel lowered the basket and looked at her with open shock. “You aren’t making any sense.”’

“
My friend is dead and Vinnie did it!”

“
If he did then he had good reason!”

“
Shut up!” Harmony shouted at her. Mabel crossed her arms defiantly under her bosom. “Vinnie is going after my brother. Do you hear me Mabel? I might have handed Willie over to his death!”

“
Vinnie is a good man, and if you don’t know that by now I was right about you all along.”

Harmony closed her eyes. In her heart she believed in Vinnie. But Milo was dead and now her brother might be next. Could she really put all her faith in a mobster she’d only known for a few days? Calming her voice she opened her eyes and tried to speak reasonably. “Please Mabel. Your son was murdered because of the violent wars of these men. My brother will be next. I have to get out of here and try to find him. I don’t know if Vinnie has anything to do with it, but I can’t sit back and not do anything. Can you help me?”